Suspects Sought in School Burglary

Deputies were dispatched to the school to investigate a report of unusual noises coming from inside the closed campus. When officials arrived, they searched the area and discovered the school’s fence had been tampered with and a classroom door was unlocked.

Deputies say an unknown robbery suspect or suspects stole 30 iPads from the school worth about $15,000. There is no suspect information at this time, officials confirmed.

North County Elementary Schools Targeted by Burglars

In the past two weeks, three elementary schools in the North County have been targeted by burglars. Valuable computers and iPads have been stolen from classrooms and officials are trying to determine if the burglaries are connected. Meanwhile, parents and teachers are upset over the loss, which directly impacts young students. NBC 7 s Todd Strain reports. (Published Sunday, Jan 13, 2013)

Investigators are asking anyone with information on this school burglary to contact the Valley Center Detective Unit at (760) 751-400 or the Sheriff’s Department tip line at (858) 565-5200.

This marks the fifth school burglary to hit the North County in less than one month. In each incident, Apple-brand electronics were stolen, specifically iPads and laptops from classrooms.

On Saturday, Jan. 12 at around 11:45 p.m., Skyline Elementary School in Solana Beach was burglarized. About two dozen Apple-brand laptops worth an estimated $36,000 were stolen from a computer lab, officials said.

On Dec. 29, a dozen iPads worth approximately $6,360 were stolen in an overnight burglary at Cardiff Elementary School. In that incident, the school’s alarms were activated, alerting deputies to the scene.

After the Jan. 13 burglary, Jan Caldwell with the Sheriff’s Department told NBC 7 that at least a dozen schools have been burglarized since Thanksgiving in Carlsbad, Poway, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Lakeside.

Caldwell said thieves have been stealing Apple products, such as iMacs and iPads, from schools.

"We think probably more than $200,000 in product has been stolen at this point," Caldwell said.

While investigators have said the school burglaries have been similar in nature, they haven’t been able to confirm if they’re actually related.